With an eye toward reshaping Italy’s labor laws and citizenship criteria, the Italian trade union CGIL officially launched the “Futura 2025” campaign over the weekend, setting the stage for five referendum votes to be held on June 8 and 9. The two-day event, held at Milan’s historic Camera del Lavoro, served as the national kickoff for a movement aimed at driving major legislative change — and rallying support from Italians both at home and abroad.
The event drew national attention with nearly 12 hours of live coverage, 47 guest speakers, and more than 1,000 social media posts under the hashtag #insiemeperilreferendum. Participants joined both in person and virtually from across Italy and major European cities including Brussels, Paris, and Barcelona.
The central message of the campaign was summed up in its newly launched slogan: “8 e 9 giugno Si vota Sì” (“8 and 9 June Vote Yes”). The referendums target key issues concerning workers’ rights and citizenship laws. Among the proposed reforms are increased protections against unlawful dismissal in both large and small companies, stronger regulations to curb temporary employment, enhanced safety standards, and expanded client liability in contractor accidents.
A particularly significant point in the referendums is a proposed change to Italy’s citizenship requirements. A “yes” vote would cut the required legal residency period from 10 years to 5, opening the door to more inclusive national belonging.
CGIL emphasized the critical role of Italy’s overseas electorate in the vote. With nearly 5 million Italians living abroad, accounting for close to 10% of the total electorate, the campaign established live links to multiple European cities and encouraged widespread participation.
The “Futura 2025” event marked not only a strategic campaign launch but also a powerful show of unity across regions and borders — one CGIL hopes will translate into five strong “yes” votes this June.
